Ibn Fadlan and the land of darkness : Arab travellers in the far north /
In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual prac...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | , |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Language Notes: | Translated from the Arabic into English; glossary in Arabic with English translations. |
| Published: |
London ; New York :
Penguin Books,
2012.
|
| Series: | Penguin classics.
|
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual practices, as well as the only eyewitness account ever written of a Viking ship cremation. Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Arab travellers such as Ibn Fadlan journeyed widely and frequently into the far north, crossing territories that now include Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Their fascinating accounts describe how the numerous tribes and peoples they encountered traded furs, paid tribute and waged wars. This accessible new translation offers an illuminating insight into the world of the Arab geographers, and the medieval lands of the far north. |
|---|---|
| Physical Description: | xxxvii, 239 pages : maps ; 20 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| ISBN: | 0140455078 9780140455076 |